EMILY STOLTZ | CHIEF REPORTER

Sentiments of social injustice in American society has brought forth a new generation of political activists.

The nation has been on edge since the killing of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin in 2012.

The unrest caused by this event was only worsened by the subsequent deaths of more unarmed black citizens – such as Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York City, New York, just to name a few.

Soon after, a grassroots organization called Black Lives Matter rose to prominence in civil rights.

The contentious campaign and election of Donald Trump has prompted groups all over the country to take to the streets in protest, including groups advocating for women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, immigration reform, affordable health care and climate change action. However, political activism in America is nothing new.

The 1960s and ‘70s saw similar action from its young citizens. Demonstrations of the time called for equal rights for African Americans, women’s liberation and an end to the Vietnam War.

But according to some, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and ‘70s and today’s liberal grassroots movement are still vastly different, despite their similar causes.

Leonard Penix, who teaches journalism at UC, recalled being exposed to tear gas while protesting the Vietnam War at Michigan State University when 40,000 national guardsmen were called in.

“Tear gas hurts,” said Penix. “About 20,000 students were involved in a protest, and my roommate and I were among the last 15 or so to leave the street.”

However, the protests of the war were only of the war and not multi-issued like the protests of today, as well as being separate from the Civil Rights Movement, said Penix.

The Women’s March on Washington had a showing of a number of groups advocating for their causes, not just issues related to women’s rights.

But Penix said he was unsure that the strength of the movement will persist. While the protests of the civil rights era lasted years, Trump has yet to be in office for 100 days, and the new wave of activism might not have legs, said Penix.

Other critics of today’s political activism worry that this generation’s heavy reliance on social media undermines activism

rather than help it.While many young activists use

social media to communicate, organize and raise awareness, causes promoted solely on social media may not see any palpable change, according to The Dartmouth, the daily student newspaper at Dartmouth College.

Social media is easy to use and accessible, but real movements have to also take place offline.

Fourth-year communication and electronic media student Molly Bernfeld said social media can, in fact, be a useful tool for political activism. The presence of politicians and people in positions of power on social media legitimizes its use in activism, said

Bernfeld. Social media was used during the

Arab Spring to organize resistance in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.

Throughout America’s history, there has always been political activism and, with it, those who disavow it. However, many believe activism plays a crucial role in American democracy. “I think it’s great that students and people our age are getting involved with political activism,” said Bernfeld.

Activism is extremely important in functioning democracy, said journalism professor and Pulitzer winner Craig Flournoy. “In my book, hell-raisers are this country’s biggest patriots.”

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Women’s March on Washington.

JACOB FISHER | STAFF REPORTER

Prospective international visitors are steering clear of the United States.

In the weeks since President Trump’s inauguration, online search demand for inbound flights to the U.S. has fallen over 17 percent, costing the nation’s travel industry roughly $185 million, according to the Global Business Travel Association.

The most substantial drop in online ticket searches came in the week following the president’s Jan. 27 executive order, which limited travel to the US from specified countries.

The company that conducted the flight research, Hopper, uses big data to analyze global airfare. Of the 122 countries for which significant data is collected, 94 indicate decreased demand for flights to the U.S.

Pat Dawson, president of the Irish Travel Agents Association, cited conflict between Trump and other countries as a major factor for the reduced demand.

“[It] does not send out a welcoming message,” said Dawson.

Ireland is one of 15 countries where ticket demand has diminished by over 30 percent. Sudan, a Muslim-majority country, tops the list with a 44 percent drop in average weekly flight searches

following the inauguration.One notable exception to

the trend is Russia, where travel interest has spiked by 88 percent. Weekly flight searches to the U.S. from Russia sat just below 400,000 in the weeks preceding the inauguration, and they skyrocketed to nearly 730,000 during the week of the travel ban.

Though global ticket demand is down for all major U.S. destinations, the West Coast has taken the biggest hit. San Francisco and Las Vegas have fared the worst, with international search interest to these airports dropping by as much as 44 percent.

The decreased international travel interest poses significant cause for concern in the Midwest. The region contains nine of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., including cities such as Chicago, Detroit and Cincinnati.

Tourism and recreation are imperative to the long-term sustainability of rural Midwest economies, notably those in the Great Lakes region.

Furthermore, international travelers are a prominent source of income for American businesses across the nation. With ticket sales reductions topping 20 percent in countries such as China, Australia and Mexico, the travel industry has legitimate grounds to feel apprehensive.

While numerous variables impact the airfare market, declines this significant are uncommon. During the first six weeks of 2016, international ticket searches shrank by 1.8 percent, roughly one tenth of this year’s reduction.

Some international airlines have discounted inbound flights to the U.S. to offset the impact on the global market.

While Hopper Research indicated little impact on pricing so far, the airfare market often takes weeks to react.

Since its implementation, legal experts and travel advocates warned of the executive order’s potential impact on business and travel industries. Thomas M. McDonnell, an international law professor at Pace University, said the ban further threatens the relationship between the United States and the Islamic world.

“It’s going to have long-term, negative consequences for business, tourism and students,” said McDonnell.

The travel ban is currently blocked by a restraining order resulting from the Washington v. Trump court decision. However, the restraining order is a temporary measure that will only remain effective until the ban is either overturned or reinstated.

The UC Economics Center did not respond to request for comment.

Int’l tourism to US down during Trump presidency

ANTHONY SOUFFLE | CHICAGO TRIBUNE | TNS

A United Airlines light lands Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014 at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER

The Cincinnati Reds finished with a record of 68-94 last season, tied for second worst in the major leagues after the Minnesota Twins.

Realizing they were in no position to compete, the Reds started unloading talent before the All-Star break last season, and they have continued to drop older, proven talent in exchange for young prospects with potential during this offseason.

In their latest move, the Reds traded gold-glove winning second baseman Brandon Phillips, who has been an everyday starter for the team since being traded from the Cleveland Indians in 2006.

During Phillips’ time with the Reds, he produced 193 home runs, 851 runs batted in and a batting average of .279, in addition to earning multiple awards for his wizardry in the field.

Beyond that, however, Phillips was known by the fans and the city of Cincinnati for his personality and what he did for the community, including funding the construction of several baseball fields in the Cincinnati area.

Fourth-year medical student Elliot Phelps believes that trading Phillips leaves the Reds without an identity.

“The first thing you think about these days when you are talking about the Reds is Brandon Phillips,” Phelps said. “Joey Votto puts up great numbers and everything, but he does not have that personality that everyone just gravitates toward like Phillips does. He kind of became the Sean Casey of Cincinnati once Casey left. His face was always in front of the camera when he was on the field, and off the field his name was always in the news for something good he did in the community.”

J.T. Perez, a junior pitcher for the University of Cincinnati baseball team, believes that the Reds made the right move in order to start preparing for their future.

“I think it is a smart move for the Reds,” Perez said. “I think Brandon Phillips is getting to be an older player, and I think if the Reds get some young talent in the next five years, they are going to be back on top again.”

Cincinnati has their eyes on a few young prospects to replace Phillips and have stated that 22-year-old José Peraza and Dilson Herrera will compete for

Students react to Phillips’ trade

STEVE NURENBERG | FORT WORTH STAR-

TELEGRAM | TNS

Cincinnati Reds second baseman

Brandon Phillips throws to irst

base against the Texas Rangers on

Wednesday, June 22, 2016, at Globe

Life Park in Arlington, Texas. The

Rangers won, 6-4.

JUSTIN REUTTER | NEWS EDITOR

A small crowd of protestors gathered on the steps of Tangeman University Center Monday to silently protest the “state of the nation.”

The protest was not targeted toward a specific issue or stance, but rather toward the state of the nation and acts of racism, sexism, xenophobia and other forms of bigotry perpetrated by President Trump’s administration and his supporters since the election.

“Honestly, I don’t think bigotry has increased. I think it’s just more that people feel more emboldened to be open about their bigotry since a man was very open about his bigoted views and got elected to the highest office in the land,” said Devonte Stewart, a fourth-year psychology student. “Trump is the product of a country built on hatred and stepping on the backs of people of color, not the other way around.”

While first-year psychology and political science student Mashal Ahmed agreed with Stewart that people have been more open about their bigotry since the election, she was also optimistic about the future.

“I feel like that there is an increase in more progressive thinking as people who use to be more quiet about injustices are now speaking up because they finally see that it’s necessary,” said Ahmed.

The university could be more supportive by doing more to provide resources for marginalized groups, said Stewart.

“What the administration can do is be open and offer marginalized groups on campus the services that they need. People don’t need pity, they need help. UC has to be ready to meet

the challenge, something they’ve been terrible at during my four years here,” said Stewart.

“The idea of a silent protest was to take up space and force people to witness our experiences without creating room for debate or differing opinions,” said Anahita Sharma, a fourth year liberal arts student.

While debate can be helpful and constructive, there is a time and place for it, and sometimes it is inappropriate, said Ahmed.

Ahmed was also critical of the Delta Tau Delta, a fraternity that was tabling on the other side of MainStreet.

While the fraternity had most likely not planned for the activists to be there, it was disrespectful for them to play pop music over the demonstration, said Ahmed.

“When people are expressing their hurt and pain, it’s not the place to do so because you are essentially telling them that they are not validated in their feelings,” said Ahmed. “It’s not easy when holding protests to express that to people passing by, so I think the tape helped a lot.”

The university itself could do more to listen to marginalized groups on campus as opposed to making decisions for them, said Ahmed.

“I also feel like very often we are talked to and not talked with, and that’s not something I’m going to seek out because I actually want my voice to be heard,” said Ahmed.

The result of the protest was disappointing because of low turnout, said Sharma. “If more people had turned up, we would have been able to actually occupy MainStreet, as was the original plan,” she said.

Delta Tau Delta did not respond to request for comment.

Students holdsilent protest

SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR

Students gather outside of TUC to protest the state of the nation on Feb 13,

2017.

THURSDAY, FEB. 16, 2017

EMILY STOLTZ | CHIEF REPORTER

One of the nation’s most looming questions about President Trump’s election is how he will handle diplomacy with foreign leaders.

Mr. Trump’s unpredictability, although appealing to his constituents, has been an area of concern for those who question his ability to maintain international relations.

Since his inauguration, he has met with a handful of leaders as an anxious America watches.

Prime Minister Theresa May of Great Britain was the first to meet with President Trump this past week. Great Britain, which recently voted to leave the European Union, has a “special relationship” with America, something both Trump and May reiterated during their joint press conference.

Although Trump has expressed support of Vladimir Putin and the

use of torture – while also disavowing NATO – Prime Minister May maintained that there is “much that we agree on,” according to The New York Times.

Trump’s meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also relatively civil, despite their ideological differences. Not surprisingly, though, the two disagreed on the matter of Trump’s travel ban. Trudeau reiterated that Canada is happy to accept Syrian refugees, while Trump said he was “just doing what I said I would do,” according to a report from CNN Politics. Trump continued to defend his position, saying that the United States could not “let the wrong people in.”

According to the article, Trudeau sought to remind the world, and seemingly Trump, that both of them had been “elected on commitments to support the middle class, to work hard for people who need a real shot at success.”

A more sensitive situation arose when North

Korea made good on its promise to test launch an intercontinental ballistic missile. Although the actions of North Korea have received a tongue-lashing from Trump in the past, his response to their latest act of defiance was relatively cool and collected, according to The New York Times.

The missile test, a direct violation of United Nations resolutions, poses a potential threat to American allies in Japan and South Korea, but no direct threat to the United States, according to the article.

Trump’s recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was slightly more akin to his usual atypical style, according to The New York Times. President Trump departed from a decades-long American position on the state of Israeli-Palestinian relations, stating his support of a deal that “both parties like,” referring to Israel and Palestine.

Although Trump’s departure from the long-held American standpoint raised a number of new questions, Netanyahu embraced Trump’s comments and voiced eagerness to negotiate with the Palestinians, according to the article.

Also in a typical Trump fashion, the president used his meeting with Netanyahu to address the “criminal acts” of the US Intelligence Agency. According to the article, President Trump said that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was brought down by “illegal leaks” from the C.I.A. to news media, which revealed that Flynn had withheld a conversation with Russia’s ambassador.

Trump, although exhibiting relative restraint in his dealings with foreign leaders, remains steadfast in most of his positions and promises made during his campaign.

RYAN CLADY | CONTRIBUTOR

The most affordable path to a University of Cincinnati bachelor’s degree will start at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

The partnership between Cincinnati State and UC makes it easier for students who complete a Cincinnati State associate’s degree program to easily apply their credit hours toward earning a bachelor’s degree at UC. Cincinnati State President Monica Posey and UC Interim Provost Peter Landgren signed the new three-year Institutional Articulation Agreement.

“We are delighted to be working even more closely with UC to not only create expanded options for students to affordably earn degrees, but also to better address the workforce training needs of our region,” Posey said. “It’s one of our top priorities, which is why we placed the new Transfer Center in one of the most visible spots on our campus.”

About 40 percent of students who graduated from UC during the 2014-15 academic year were transfer or transition students. More than 380 students transferred to UC’s Main Campus from Cincinnati State in 2016. In addition, UC has awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships to Cincinnati State transfer students since 2013. This new agreement between the two institutions is expected to further strengthen these trends.

Cincinnati State has set up a new Transfer Center to help students assimilate with their bachelor’s program, while still working on their associate’s degrees. It not only provides students with a better understanding of their transfer opportunities to bachelor’s degree program at UC and other universities, but it also gives students a place to get in touch with advisors and gain the knowledge needed to transfer to a four-year university.

The program also helps strengthen the relationship between the institutions’ academic advisors. Cincinnati State will allow space for UC employees at its Transfer Center. The UC Center for Pathways Advising and Student Success will serve as a meeting point for all to contact advisors and handle questions from Cincinnati State students and advisors regarding tuition costs and other transfer-related issues. UC has also agreed to provide Cincinnati State students and advisors access to a program called Transferology, an online tool that provides course compatibility information.

Transferology is a nation-wide network built to help transfer students explore their college transfer options. Trasnferology’s goal is to save time and money for transfer students by providing a fast and easy way of getting their transfer questions asked, whether that be credits carrying over,

tuition costs and even possible club or ROTC involvement. Students can also find out what their options are for taking classes over the summer at another school to transfer back to their current school by using the “Find a Replacement Course” feature.

Cincinnati State and UC already have several strong articulation agreements in place for specific

programs, including nursing, communications and social work. The new agreement is expected to expand that number. The agreement states, “Program-to-program agreements between Cincinnati State and UC will spell out the selective admission requirements, course equivalencies and other information affecting students in a given program.”

PARKER MALATESTA | NEWS EDITOR

Activist investor Trian Fund Management, L.P., has finalized a $3 billion stake in Procter & Gamble Co., creating more pressure for the conglomerate to perform.

Shares of P&G rose 1.37 percent to $91.12 in daily trading Wednesday.

The investment is the fund’s largest ever, beating out its 2015 stake of $2.2 billion made in General Electric, according to a person familiar with the matter as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Billionaire Nelson Peltz is the co-founder of the New York-based firm, which is also a heavy investor in Columbus-based fast food chain Wendy’s.

Trian’s most substantial move of 2016 was their $1.8 billion divestment in PepsiCo.

Trian declined to comment.

P&G did not offer an additional perspective to Trian’s move, but did say that they welcome any investment in their company, which has a market value of $225 billion.

Last October, they sold a number of their beauty brands to Coty Inc. for $11.6 billion. The move forced roughly 10,000 P&G employees to transfer.

They have recently cut multiple brands, in an effort to restructure and strengthen their core fundamental products such as Tide and Gillette.

Dr. Erwin Erhardt, a UC economics associate professor, sees the move as an intriguing prospect for reinvigoration for a company that is not up to

par. “Even with P&G facing stiff competition in a tight market, Trian management still views them as a valuable company. They most likely want to see them embark in a new direction, possibly trying out new marketing strategies,” he said.

P&G has the world’s largest advertising budget and a massive pool of marketing research tools.

From a year ago today, P&G’s stock has risen nearly 12 percent, suffering most severe losses during the beginning of the fourth quarter.

The company’s organic sales growth has not exceeded 3 percent in the past few years, and their goal for 2017 is to reach at least 2 percent.

This year, shares of P&G have progressed ahead of the S&P 500.

In 2012, P&G faced consistent criticism from activist Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. The investor endorsed a CEO change, and one year later Robert McDonald was replaced.

The current company chairman and CEO is David Taylor, who has run the company in a traditionalist fashion.

In December, Mr. Pentz told CNBC that he hoped to talk to the board and management of the prospect he planned to invest in.

Trian did not communicate with P&G about its investment before announcing the move publicly, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal, who also shared that Trian raised an individual fund

for the P&G investment, collaborating with sovereign-wealth funds and pension funds.

Chief Financial Officer of P&G Jon Moeller will speak at the Consumer Analyst Group of New

York Conference on Feb. 23.

2 / NEWS

Many UC students start at Cincinnati State

Trump’s international policy

Trian Fund Management finalizes $3 billion stake in P&G

OLIVIER DOULIERY | ABACA PRESS | TNS

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe depart the

White House on Feb. 10, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

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Editor-In-Chief Jeff O’Rear

Managing Editor Lauren Moretto

News Editors Justin Reutter Parker Malatesta

Chief Reporter Emily Stoltz

Life & Arts EditorIsabella Jansen

Opinion EditorKarly Williams

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Designer Gabrielle Stichweh

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Videographer Michelle Fisk

THURSDAY, FEB. 16, 2017

LIFE & ARTS / 3

ISABELLA JANSEN | ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

For many, the age of 15 is a time for teens to go out and get their first job, but for first-year entrepreneur student Kennedy McDermott, it was the age at which she started her first business. Now at 18 years old, she has two successful businesses under her belt.

“When I was 15, I was like, ‘Hey, I want to start a business instead of get a job,’” said McDermott. When talking to her parents, she said, “They were like, ‘Okay, put up money and we will match you, and you can pay us back.’”

McDermott’s first business is a store located in Newport, Kentucky, called The Dress Fanatic. It’s a rental dress boutique that allows girls to rent designer homecoming and prom dresses for a fraction of the cost.

McDermott said she can buy a $300 dress and then five girls rent it, and the dress ends up paying itself off.

“It is paying for college, my parents help out a little, but it pays pretty much all of tuition,” said McDermott. “No loans. That is my goal to go all four years without loans.”

As if one business was not enough, McDermott and her business partner Anna Steffen created Kandid Boutique, an online boutique with cute, affordable and fashionable clothes for young women.

Both girls knew each other through mutual friends and were both voted “Best Dressed” in their graduating class. They were always told they should combine closets. After running into each

other at Pangea Boutique on Ludlow Avenue, they decided to start their own boutique.

McDermott and Steffen are the sole owners of Kandid Boutique. They do everything, from the buying and selling to the inventory and social media.

McDermott says it has been about two years since they have opened in March 2015, and they have finally broken even.

Since coming to UC and joining a sorority, McDermott said, “I understand more what people want to wear and when things are coming out, but college isn’t the best age group to sell to because we are all poor.”

They are now trying to extend their target audience to mothers by branching out and going to houses for a wine night and selling party.

McDermott and Steffen have also hired on two interns, which are seniors at UC.

Nicole Pesa, a fourth-year communication and fashion design student, is one of the interns for Kandid Boutique. She gets paid in clothing and experience.

“When Anna and Kennedy took me on, they told me that they did not want me to be so much an intern, but an involved contributor to Kandid,” says Pesa. “This was so refreshing to me because I have had so many internships in the fashion industry where interns are simply given the brunt of the work.”

These interns have been given full access to social media accounts and even help pick out the inventory that goes into the store.

While McDermott hopes to one day open up a storefront in Over-the-Rhine, Kandid is based solely online. However, they do provide days when customers can come to their building space and view the inventory.

For updates on specials and sales, you can follow Kandid Boutique by visiting their website or keeping up with them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

NOELLE ZIELINSKI | CONTRIBUTOR

The University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music orchestra series presented its Valentine’s Day Silver Rose special Tuesday night in Corbett Auditorium.

This series included selections from various plays, operas and other pieces. The concert was under the direction of Aik Khai Pung and CCM orchestral conducting students.

Along with orchestral music, the concert included pieces of poetry read by the student conductors between each piece. This seemingly simple addition to the concert added a level of diversity, as each piece was from a different part of the world and was read in the native language. These languages included French, Hebrew, Chinese, Portuguese and English.

These poems were all romance poems, relating to the Valentine’s Day theme of the concert. Each piece, when performed under the direction of various students, projected new atmospheres onto the audience, keeping them interested as each conductor moved through his or her piece.

William Langley, a first-year graduate student in orchestral

conducting, conducted the duet from Act IV of Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette,” “Nuit d’hyménée,” with the CCM Philharmonia featuring soprano Claire Lopatka and tenor Brandon Russell.

Langley said that he has been conducting for 10 years and has always been drawn to and enamored by music since he was a child.

“Going to see productions of musicals as a child – “The Sound of Music” and “The Music Man” – sparked my interest,” said Langley. “In fifth grade, we had a visit from the middle school band and were able to sign up and join for the upcoming year, and I did.”

Langley’s love for music and what he does was clearly shown through his leadership of the CCM Philharmonia.

Each selection performed by the orchestra guided the audience through a story, with selections from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Roméo et Juliette” and “Der Rosenkavalier.”

Langley’s favorite was the last piece selected for the concert from “Der Rosenkavalier,” which featured the song “Hab’ mir’s gelobt” and was accompanied by three opera singers.

“It is hard to pick just one, but the final trio “Hab mir’s gelobt” from Richard Strauss’s “Der Rosenkavalier” holds a special place in my heart. It’s quite possibly one of the most beautiful moments in opera,” said Langley.

Two pieces from the concert also featured piano and violin solos. “Romance for Violin in F Minor” entailed a violin solo performed by CCM violin concerto competition winner Deng Zhe. The violin sections in this segment were incredibly intricate and captivated members of the audience, leaving the auditorium in awe.

CCM piano concerto competition winner Michael Delfin exceptionally executed the excerpt from “Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat.” Aik Khai Pung conducted the orchestra through the last piece of the concert.

The CCM Philharmonia executed yet another outstanding performance, this time with the help of the orchestral conducting students. The romantic pieces kept the audience enthralled throughout the entire concert and entirely satisfied by the end of the night.

RAEGAN ELY | STAFF REPORTER

This Valentine’s Day, UC’s Program and Activities Council (PAC) hosted a four-hour long event called Fall in Love with Winter in TUC’s Great Hall.

No valentine needed, just friends, fun and the opportunity to enjoy some artificial snow and snacks.

This was the perfect opportunity for third-year biomedical engineering student Ebuka Onwuagba to spend a fun night out for free with all of her friends.

PAC, an organization that creates events for students by students, went to great measures to put on a free event for all students to enjoy.

It isn’t every day you get to enjoy a skating rink placed inside of Great Hall. Even those who cannot ice skate had the opportunity for fun with a caricature artist, hot chocolate bar, candy and stuffed animals.

Right as you walked in, you would receive a wristband. This wristband allowed you and a friend to get one free caricature drawing and a free skate rental.

Students had the opportunity to create their own hot chocolate to their liking by adding peppermint, chocolate chips and whipped cream. This made for a constant line at the hot chocolate bar.

PAC even handed out Stuff-a-Plush stuffed animals that sported a t-shirt with the PAC logo on it, which you could give to your valentine or keep for yourself.

The biggest perplexity of the night was how they got an entire ice skating rink inside of Great Hall. The answer was simple – artificial ice.

A company who designs ice for temporary indoor events installed this artificial ice. Made up of a polymer plastic at a half-inch thick, there is a special lubricant on top to help your skates glide.

Events like this take an extensive amount of planning and preparation

by everyone involved with PAC.

“What happens is we prepare in advance. We had proposals for spring in the fall and plan the budget and everything, vote and set the date,” said Tarushi Ravindra, a fourth-year industrial design student and PAC member. “There’s not a set number of days, but it takes semesters and we work for the set date.”

This event provided the perfect way for students to spend their Tuesday night by skating off stress or taking their valentine on a free date.

PAC puts on many great events throughout the entire year. Just last week they had pizza, pets and

goodies right inside of the Campus Recreation Center. Students got to enjoy a slice of pizza and prizes, such as mugs, while having the chance to play with dogs for a few seconds.

The spring concert, Uptown West Fest, presented by PAC, is happening April 8. More information will be made available to the public soon. Be on the lookout on their social media pages for more information.

If you want to be a part of the planning process, PAC members recruit for the fall semester and encourage you to apply.

Ravindra saw for herself

how happy and welcoming

all the members of PAC were, which gave her the encouragement she needed to become a part of the team.

ISABELLA JANSEN | ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

Here at the University of Cincinnati, students are provided with many opportunities to work with organizations and participate in volunteer work.

“I have always enjoyed volunteering for organizations on campus. It is a great way to network to new people and help out our community,” said fourth-year marketing student Helena Sabato.

For many scholarships through UC, volunteer work is often a requirement. For those who don’t hold scholarships requiring community service, it is sometimes nice to just get involved and give back to the community.

Luckily for students on campus seeking service hours, the Center for Community Engagement provides students with a weekly service update.

There are a multitude of options for students to volunteer locally.

Every Thursday night from 5-7:30 p.m. is Student Nights at the Freestore Foodbank, located at 1250 Tennessee Ave. This provides students with the chance to feed hungry children in our community while meeting other students.

Clifton Cultural Arts Center on Clifton Avenue will be hosting the Love Thy ‘Nati Celebration on Feb. 23. This event is put on by Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and will be revealing the new brand for the organization, celebrating the successes of 2016 and kicking off the 2017 Great American Cleanup. Volunteers are needed to direct guests, restock food and help with set-up and clean-up.

A fun volunteer event for anyone who loves kids will take place on Feb. 25 from noon to 4 p.m. This event is

put on through Cincinnati Education TV and is seeking 10 volunteers. Jobs would include helping out with crafts, drinks and more. Located just two miles from main campus, this event makes for an easy commute.

On Feb. 28, Price Hill Will is hosting their annual fundraising event at The Sanctuary in Lower Price Hill. Price Hill Will Gala is in need of students before, during and after the event.

The UC Beautification program holds monthly events through Clean Up Cincy. On Feb. 25, students will meet in front of Lindner College of Business for check-in between 11:30 a.m. and 11:55 a.m. This opportunity is open to 100 people. Volunteers will participate in cleaning up different sites around Cincinnati.

For students who are able to get to Loveland, Ohio, and are a fan of free food could assist Tender Years,

a non-profit that needs help with their annual fundraiser. On March 4, volunteers can help run games, assist with data entry and MC for the event.

These events are just a few that are provided through the University of Cincinnati, and more can be found at Volunter.uc.edu

First-year nursing student

Shannon O’Connor is no stranger to volunteer work, but has not yet gotten involved at UC. It is something she loves to do and has been doing since grade school.

“I hope to volunteer at the Open Clinic that the College of Nursing holds,” said O’Connor. “It will help me get practice, and I’ll

also be doing what I love most – helping people.”

The opportunities offered here at UC to give back to our surrounding community is endless. Whatever your interest, whatever your motive, you can find an organization or event to volunteer and give back.

CCM’s Valentine’s Silver Rose special

Program and Activities Council holds ‘Fall in Love with Winter’ event

UC students have many volunteer opportunities

Kandid Boutiquesowned by teen

PROVIDED BY CCM.

JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPAHER

Students ice-skate in TUC Great Hall

Tuesday, February 14, 2017.

COURTESY OF KENNEDY MCDERMOTT

PROVIDED

THURSDAY, FEB. 16, 2017

4 / SPORTS

CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team enters the tail-end of their regular season.

The team refers to the last part of their schedule as their “six-game regular season,” starting with a 71-62 road win against the University of Houston, which stresses the importance of the matchups.

“We started a brand-new season with our road game against Houston,” said head coach Jamelle Elliott. “We survived through a tough stretch of games, playing the top teams in our conference. I thought we competed well, but we just didn’t have any luck in the win column, so I was happy we were able to get through that with our mental and physical abilities intact and getting better as a team.”

UC is currently fourth in the American Athletic Conference, behind powerhouse University of Connecticut, Temple University and the University of South Florida – each team being ranked in the top 25 of the USA Today Coaches Poll.

With five games remaining on the regular

season schedule and the AAC tournament looming in early March, the team is preparing to make a run – even if that means going through UConn, who just secured their 100th consecutive victory and defeated Cincinnati earlier in the regular season by 47 points.

“We’re being very intentional and strategic about what our practices look like as far as how long we’re keeping them on the floor,” Elliott said. “At this time of the season, it’s not necessary to drill things and go over things that you’ve been doing all season long. It’s more about that mental and physical focus that you need to have during practice, and, more specifically, working on things that you need to do to get better, not just to prepare for your opponent, but to prepare your team to continue to get better down the stretch.”

This season also marks an opportunity for senior guard Bianca Quisenberry to secure her first winning season in her four years as a Bearcat with the team sitting on 16 wins – the most wins for a UC women’s basketball team since the 2006-2007 season,

which is also the program’s last winning season.

“It’s definitely important and exciting,” Quisenberry said. “I don’t like losing, so that’s been a struggle and something that you have to go through and push through. We have a great group this year and they bought in to the culture, our changing culture, and I think it has shown in our record so far.”

For Elliott, the team is set up to earn her first winning record in her eight years as the head coach. Her previous best at UC was a 16-16 season in 2011-12.

“It’s all about Bianca and Brandey [Tarver], our seniors,” Elliott said. “They’ve given us four years and everything they have as far as their commitment to this program and from a cultural standpoint with us getting better. And I think your goal for every class of seniors that you have is to have them leave here being improved and winning more games than the previous year’s class.”

The women’s basketball team plays the University of Memphis at home 3 p.m. Saturday.

DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOROPINION

The sport was basketball, and the Cincinnati Bearcats were atop of it.

The Bearcats’ basketball program was at the center of the college basketball world in the 1960s – winning back-to-back national championships in 1961-62 – but not too many teams were as polarizing in the 1990s and early 2000s as UC; and not too many coaches were as polarizing as Bob Huggins.

The marriage was perfect and beautiful to watch. From 1992-2001, Cincinnati made four Sweet 16s, three Elite Eights and one Final Four.

This does not include the 1999-2000 team that was ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for 12 weeks out of the season and was primed for a run to the national championship.

That was until they lost No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Kenyon Martin to a leg injury in the Conference USA Tournament, right before the NCAA Tournament, leading to their early second-round exit.

The Bearcats were consistently at the top of college basketball every year and it was largely in part due to Huggins.

When Huggins came to Cincinnati in 1989 he turned around a program that had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1977 and helped push them to 14-straight appearances.

Huggins went on to win three Conference USA Coach of the Year Awards and was also named the Conference USA Coach of the Decade in 2005.

He was a fiery coach that the Bearcat faithful loved.

And then it was all over. In August 2005, Huggins

was forced to resign by then UC President Nancy Zimpher, amidst reports that she was frustrated with Huggins’ arrest for driving under the influence in 2004.

Just like that, the magic was gone.

Despite the Bearcats making the tournament the next season under Andy Kennedy, they then went into a complete rebuilding mode, not making the tournament again until 2011.

The Bearcats have now gone to six-straight, soon to be seven-straight, NCAA Tournaments under Mick Cronin. However, they have only been as far as

one Sweet 16 since the departure of Huggins.

In addition, Cincinnati was a part of the Big East Conference’s collapse. A league that had once seen the likes of UC, Syracuse, Louisville, UConn and others battle each other for supremacy saw the majority of their powerhouse programs walk away.

Now, Cincinnati is in the American Athletic Conference – a non-power-five conference with weaker basketball traditions than the Mid-American Conference – giving analysts a valid reason to not show them respect.

After leaving Cincinnati, Huggins coached at Kansas State University for a year then went to his alma mater, West Virginia University in 2007.

From 2008-16, Huggins has been to three Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight and one Final Four.

He has had more success than UC, but he has not been as polarizing since he left the school. West Virginia has not once been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll since he has taken over the reins – compared to Cincinnati’s 12 times in one season in 1999-00 – according to CollegePollArchives.com.

The epitome of UC not getting the same respect, and Huggins not having the same strong teams, showed as recent as this week.

After winning 15-straight games, UC jumped up to No. 11 in the AP Polls last week. However, the selection committee didn’t rank them in their top-16 Saturday.

They then fell to No. 25 SMU on Sunday, forcing their spot in the AP Polls to plummet on Monday to No. 18.

Huggins felt it on Monday as well.

His No. 9 West Virginia team blew a 14-point lead with two minutes and 43 seconds left to No. 3 Kansas, ultimately losing 84-80 in overtime.

Losses like that have kept Huggins from the top of the college basketball universe since he left Cincinnati.

Has UC been successful since the breakup? Yes.

Has Huggins been successful since the breakup? Yes.

But the two may never be as successful, or as polarizing, as when they were together.

DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER

The Cincinnati Bearcats’ baseball team lost only one starter on their roster last season.

UC is returning the majority of their production at the plate and on the mound from 2016, and one of their key returnees is left-handed pitcher J.T. Perez.

Perez piled up innings throughout his 14 appearances and 13 starts last season, toeing the rubber in 91 innings.

Throwing strikes and letting the defense play behind him is what Perez attributed to his ability to rack up innings.

“If you throw strikes, good things are going to happen. If you walk guys and give them a reason to get on base, it’s easier to give up runs and you’re not going to get as many innings. So, I just think the least amount of walks as possible is big,” Perez said.

Perez was one of the team’s leaders in earned run average last season with a 2.97 ERA, and he plans to use his defense to sustain last year’s

success. “Our defense, like coach [Ty] Neal

always says, is the best in the country. So, we really believe in that,” Perez said.

During the offseason, Perez played in the Cape Cod Baseball League – a summer league for collegiate baseball players funded by the MLB.

“J.T. Perez is going to be our Saturday guy again. He has gotten better each year, each day. He spent the summer in the Cape Cod League, which allowed him to mature in some different areas,” said UC head coach Ty Neal.

Perez benefited from growing up in a baseball family. His older brother A.J. played baseball collegiately at Owens Community College.

“We text every day, he was a hitter, but we talk about baseball all the time, we talk about pro baseball. We just talk about anything sports, so it’s kind of nice to have a brother around that has the same interests,” Perez said.

Looking forward to the season that begins Friday, Perez believes this team is better than last year’s that

went 26-30-1, despite not playing a real game yet.

“I do see improvements from a lot of guys, but we will have to wait and see. I think we can definitely compete in this conference and definitely make a run,” Perez said. “I think a lot of guys are even bigger. I think we have worked hard in the weight room.”

Coach Neal expects the team to win a lot games if they don’t try to do too much.

“I expect our guys to continue to play hard, which I know they will,” Neal said. “I want us to be aggressive, I want the guys to manage themselves and each other. If we can do those things and also stay healthy, we could have a really good year.”

The Bearcats open their season against Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

“We don’t really know much about them, but I know that they’re going to give us a battle. Southern teams usually play pretty good baseball,” Perez said.

The Bearcats and Northwestern will face off at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Women’s basketball faces ‘six-game regular season’

Huggins, Cincy won’t equal whatthey were together

Perez looks to build off last year

DAVID GIFREDA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Bianca Quisenberry (22) runs up against an East Carolina player while driving for the net during the game on Saturday

January 21, 2017.

PROVIDED BY UC ATHLETICS

J.T. Perez., second-year and left-handed pitcher, follows through to LSU catcher, Jordan Romero, Friday, Feb. 19, 2016 at LSU.

the starting second base job this season.

Peraza received his first major league action for the Reds last season as a utility man, hitting .324 in 241 at bats while playing four different positions.

Herrera, who is strictly a second baseman, had brief stints with the New York

Mets major league team in 2014 and 2015, but did not see any big-league action last year.

He was the main piece the Reds received in the trade of Jay Bruce.

Third-year history student Evan Spangler has confidence that the young guys can get the job done.

“While I am definitely going to miss Brandon Phillips, I think we need to give these young guys a shot,” Spangler said. “We are not going anywhere this year, so why not see what younger guys can do and give them a chance to develop. Peraza played really well last year,

and I think he earned the opportunity to be an everyday starter.”

Cincinnati opens spring training games Feb. 24, and Opening Day will take place on April 3 with the Reds competing against the Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Ball Park.

FROM PHILIPS PG 1